commit adultery, doft abhorreft Idols, doft thou makeft thy boaft of the Thou that fayft a man fhould not thou commit adultery? thou that kcommit facrilege? 23. Thou that law, through breaking the law dishonoureft thou God? 24. For the name of God is blafphemed among the Gentiles, through you, as it is written. 25. For circumcifion verily profiteth, if thou keep the law but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcifion is made uncircumcifion. 26. Therefore, if the uncircumcifion keep the righteoufnefs of the law, fhall not his uncircumcifion be counted for circumcifion? 27. And fhall not uncircumcifion which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee who by the letter and circumcifion doft tranfgrefs the law. 28. For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcifion which is outward in the flefl: 29. But he is a Jew which is one inwardly; and circumcifion is that of 2 8.0 Mat. 3. 9. Think not to fay within your felves, We have Abraham to our Father: for I fay unto you, that God is able of s thefe Stones to raife up Children unto Abraham. tJoh. 8.39. They anfwered and faid unto him, Abraham is our Father: Jefus faith unto them, If ye were Abraham's Name of God and his Doctrine be not to Children, ye would do the Works blafphemed. Tit. 2. 5, 8.-That of Abraham. † Rom. 9. 6, 7. the Word of God be not blafphemed. They are not all Ifrael, which are That he that is of the contrary of Ifrael: neither because they are Part may be ashamed, having no evil the Seed of Abraham are they all thing to fay of you. Children. Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink, but Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft. Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this Rule, Peace be on them, and Mercy,and upon the Ifrael of God. + Rev.2.9. I know the Blafphemy of them which fay they are Jews, and are not 11 t2 Sam. 12. 14. How 15 beit, because by this Deed thou haft given great Occafion to the Enemies of the Lord to blafpheme. 20 25 *Ifa. 52. 5. —They that rule over them make them to howl, faith the Lord, and my Name continually every Day is blafphemed. Ez. 36. 20, 23. When they entred unto the Heathen whither they went, they profaned my holy Name, when they faid to them,thefe are the People of the Lord, and are gone out of his Land. I will fan&tifie my great Name which was pre- 30 phaned among the Heathen, which ye have prophaned in the midft of them. 29. Pt Pet. 3. 4. Let it be the hidden Man of the Heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the Ornament of a meek and quier Spirit, which is in the Sight of God of great Price. Col. 2. 11. Phil.3.3. See on A&ts 7.51. of the heart, in the fpirit, and not in the letter, whole praise is not of men, but of God. СНА Р. III. WHAT advantage then hath the Jew? or what pro circumcifion? 2. Much every way :' chiefly because that unto them were (1) committed the oracles of God. 3. For what if fome did not believe? fhall their unbelief 29. Rom. 7. 6. That we fhould ferve in newness of Spirit, and not in the oldness of the Letter. +2 Cor. 3. 6. Who alfo hath made us able Ministers of the New-Teftament, not of the Letter, but of the Spirit: for the Letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life. t1 Cor. 4. 5. Then [when the Lord fhall come to Judgment] 10 fhall every Man have Praife of God. † 2 Cor. 10. 18. Not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. 1 Thef. 2. 4. As we were allowed of God to be put in truft with the Gofpel, even fo we fpeak, not as pleafing Men, but God, which trieth our Hearts. 15 20 25 Children. Pfal. 147. 19, 20. He fheweth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judgments unto Irael. He hath not dealt fo with any Nation: and as for his Judgments, they have not known them. + Rom. 9. 4. Who are Ifraelites ; to whom pertaineth the giving of the Law. b 3. + Heb. 4. 2. Unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them; but the Word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it. † Numb. 23. 19 God is not a Man that he fhould lie, nei-. ther the Son of Man that he should repent: hath he faid, and fhall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and fhall he not make it good? Rom. 9.6. Not as though the Word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Ifrael which are of Calling of God are without RepenIfrael. Rom. 11. 29. The Gifts and tance. † 2 Tim. 2. 13. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful ; he cannot deny himself. (1) It is certain that the Jews did not receive the Books called the Apochrypha as a part of the Scriptures of the Old-Teftament; notwithstand. ing which the Apostle here reckons it to be one Advantage which the Jews had above other Nations, that unto them were committed the Oracles of God; it is likewife certain, that neither our Lord, nor his Apostles, charge them with a Breach of Truft, though they did not own nor receive them, which they queftionless would have done, had the Jews finned in not receiving them. We have therefore here a very good Argument to prove against the Church of Rome, that the Apochryphal Books are not a Part of the Holy Scripture. Some of them, particularly the Books of Wisdom and Ecclefiafticus, contain excellent moral Precepts. Our Church therefore allows them to be read for example of Life, and inftruction of Manners; but the doth not apply them to eftablish any Doctrine. unbelief make the faith of God without effect? 4. & God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightst be f juftified in thy fayings, and mightft overcome when thou art judged. 5. But if our unrighteoufnefs commend the righteoufnef's of God, what fhall we fay? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I fpeak as a man) 6. God forbid for then how fhall God judge the world? 7. For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I alfo judged as a finner? 8. And not rather, (as we be flanderoufly reported, and as fome affirm that we fay) Let us do evil, that good may come? whofe damnation is juft. 9. What then? are we better than they? No in no wife for we have before proved [Gr. charged] both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under fin; 10. As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that feeketh after God. 12. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doth good, no not one. 13. Their throat is an open fepulchre; with their tongues they have ufed deceit; the poifon of afps is under their lips 14. Whofe " mouth is full of curfing and bitternefs. 15. Their feet are fwift to fhed blood. i 1 k tJoh. 3.33. He that hath received his Teftimony, hath fet to his Seal that God is true. ກາ II. 16. (Ver. 10.) Pfal. 14. 3. They all gone afide, they are altogether become filthy there is none that doth good, no not one. 32. See the Note on Joh. 3 13. + Pfal. 5. 9. There' is no faithfulness in their Mouth; their inward Part is very Wickedness; their Throat is an open Sepulchre, they flatter with their Tongue. Pfal. 140. 3. They have fharpned their Tongues like a Serpent; Adders Poifon is under their Lips. Jam. 3.8. The Tongue can no Man tame; it is an unruly Evil, full of deadly Poison. n 14. t Pfal. IO. 7. His Mouth is full of Curfing, and Deceit, and Fraud: under his Tongue is Mischief and Vanity. 15. Prov. 1. 16. Their Feet run to evil, and make haft to * P 16. Deftruction and mifery are in their ways: 17. And the way of peace have they not known. 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes. 19. Now we know that what thing's foever the law faith, it faith to them who are under the law that every mouth may be ftopped, and all the world may become guilty before God [Or, fubject to the judgment of God]. 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there fhall no flesh be juftified in his fight: for by the law, is the " knowledge of fin. 21. But now the righteoufnefs of God without the law is manifefted, being witneffed by the law and the prophets; 22. Even the righteoufnefs of God which is by faith of Jefus Chrift unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference: 23. For all have finned, and come fhort of the glory. of God; 24. Being juftified freely by his grace, through b B e on Rom. 1. 17.'. 18. P Pfal. 36.1. The Tranfgreffion of the Wicked faith within my Heart, there is no fear of God before his Eyes. 15 19. 9 Joh. 10. 34. Jefus 34 Jefus anfwered them, Is it not written in your Law? † Ezek. 16. 63. That thou mayft remember and be confounded, and never open thy Mouth any more becaufe of thy Shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou haft done, faith the Lord God. 20. † Gal. 2. 16. Eph 2. 8. See on A&ts 13. 39. 20 them that believe. e. 24. Ifa. 55. 1. Ho, every one that thirfteth come ye to the Waters, and he that hath no Moncy; come ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price. Joh. 3. 16. God fo loved the World, that be gave his only begotten Son.1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself a Ranfom for all. Rom. 4. 16. Therefore 25 it is of Faith, that it might be by Grace- Eph. 2. 8. By Grace are ye faved, through Faith; and that not of your felves: it is the Gift of God. Tit. 2. 11. The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation, hath appeared to all Men. Tit. 3. 7. That being juftified by ከ Rom. 7. 7: I had not known Sin, but by the Law: for I had not known Luft, except the Law had faid, Thou shalt not30 Covet. 21. a + Phil. 3. 9. See his through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift: 25 Whom God hath fet forth [Or, fore-ordained] to be a Propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteoufnefs for the remiffion [Or, paffing over] of fins that are paft, through the forbearance of God; 26. Todeclare, I fay, at this time his righteoufnefs: that he might be juft, and the juftifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27. Where is boafting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. 28. Therefore we conclude, that a man is " juftified by faith (1) without the deeds m n his Grace, we fhould be made Heirs according to the Hope of eternal Life. h B Eph. 17. In whom we have Redemption through his Blood, the Forgiveness of Sins. 25. 2 Cor. 5. 18. All Things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jefus Chrift.- 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is the 10 Propitiation for our Sins: and not for ours only, but for the Sins of the whole World. 1 Joh. 4. 10.— [God] fent his Son to be the Propi tiation for our Sins. :: Col. I. 20. Having made Peace through the Blood of his Crofs k See on Acts 13- 38. 27. 17, 23. Be hold, thou art called a Jew, and refteft in the Law, and makeft thy boaft of God. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law, through breaking the Law dishonoureft thou God? Rom, 4. 2. If Abraham were juftified by Works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. t1 Cor. 1. 29, 31. That no Flefh fhould glory in his Prefence, -He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Eph. 2. 9. Not of Works, leaft any Man fhould boaft. 28. n + Rom. 8. 3. † Gal .2. 16. 1 † A&ts 17. 30. The Times 20 See on A&ts 13.39. > (1) When the Apostle fpeaks of Juftification by Faith, without the Deeds or Works of the Law, he does not intend to exclude fuch good Works as flow from Faith in Chrift, and are an Evidence and Proof that our Faith is true and real, not hypocritical and counterfeit ; for we are most exprefly affured in the New-Teftament, That without Holiness no Man Jhall fee God; That God will render to every Man according to his Works; That at the Judgment of the great Day, we shall receive according to what we have done, whether it be good or bad; and, That in Christ Jefus, or, now under the Gofpel, neither Circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but Faith which worketh by Love. So that the Faith which is faving, must be a working Faith, or a Faith which bringeth forth good Works. But the Works which cannot juftifie are, (1.) Works of perfect and finlefs Obedience, there being none fuch among the Pofterity of fallen Adam. (2) Works done in the Strength of the Law of Mofes, without the Grace of the Go. fpel. (3) Works of the Ceremonial Law, as Circumcifion, Sacrifices, and fuch like Ritual Obfervances. (4) No Works whatsoever can be relied on as the meritorious Causes of our Suftification; for the only meritori ous Caufe of our Fiftification, is the Obedience and Sufferings of Jefus Chrift. |